Ren'Py/Cookbook

A list of resources and code snippets for the Ren'Py game engine.

Audio

• Sound - Many useful code snippets
• Dynamic music in Ren'Py!
• Phoenix Wright Blip and mouth animation library
• Sprite blinking with voice beeps
• Dynamic Text Bleeps/Animalese/Phonemes
• How to convert loop information between samples and seconds

UI

General

• Change Theme Quickly
• Dark and Light Colour Schemes Source Code
• How to make a custom theme for the Ren'Py Launcher!
• Unofficial Launcher Skin Directory (Abandoned)
• 0GUI
• Variable Text Size Without Breaking Your GUI
• All-In-One GUI Template (Version 2.2)

Cursor

• "Flashlight" cursor
• custom mouse cursor code
• Cursor Hand
• Changing mouse pointer midgame.

Displayables / Widgets

• RADC - Ren'Py Asset Download Complement (Download Bar)
• HSV color picker
• "Continue game" button
• Continue button
• Rotateable wheel with buttons
• Analog Clock (Updated)
• Analog/Digital Clock
• Wheel UI
• Drawing a flashlight with a creator-defined displayable
• Scrolling marquee
• X-ray effect: Creator-Defined Displayable
• Tilemap (Creator-Defined Displayable)
• Mirage/Heat Shimmer/Kagerou Effect Displayable
• Pictures in the menu buttons
• Heart popup
• Power/energy meter
• Love Meter Bar
• Skip Movie Button
• Radar Chart
• Collapsible GUI panels

Main menu

• Animated Imagemap Main Menu
• Main Menu with a Video Background Code
• Main Menu Label
• Returning to Main Menu from Settings
• Have characters greet you at game launch

Particles

• Horizontal Parallax Scrolling Starfield
• Projection Starfield
• Sakura River's FX: Rising Vortex

Quick menu

• Hidden Quickmenu for a cleaner GUI
• Custom icon based Quick Menu (Using ImageButtons)

Screens

• (Tutorial) Making a Contents page / screen
• Health Screen
• Ren'Py Universal Player - A Improved Music Room Screen
• Character select screen using imagebuttons
• History screen - Many useful code snippets
• Separated History Screen
• Add images to history log
• Simple shopping menu
• Information Screen
• Alternate Menu (using Python/Class code)
• Easy guide to: Pause menu
• Basic Customized Menu With Keyboard Shortcuts
• Side story menu code
• Japanese ADV Interaction Menu

Textbox / Namebox

• Simple tracker for change of speaker (aka applying transforms to the namebox)
• Easy way to give characters different nameboxes
• Change textbox look several time during the game
• (Tutorial) Customizing the NVL Textbox
• How to Customize Textbox and Choice menu
• (Tutorial) Customizing the Textbox
• (UDD) animated pirouetting inverted triangle CTC
• (Tutorial) CTC ~ Click to Continue Icon

Transitions / ATL

• ATL transitions
• New ATL warpers
• Quaking Dissolve
• Some Transitions for your characters
• TransitionShowingSwitch and TransitionConditionSwitch
• Path motion
• Catmull-Rom Spline Paths
• Quick special effects

Images

• ChromaGlitch : show images with a DDLC-like glitch effect
• Simple glitch effect
• Shaders
• Wave shader
• Side Images with Circular Cropping
• Custom Placeholder Portraits on the Fly
• Sprite blinking with voice beeps
• Parallax Camera and "Drunken" Blur
• Scrolling credits
• Layeredimages dynamic control using adjust_attributes

Inputs / Controls

• Joystick like an android
• Text input (on screen)
• Non-Linear Game - How to make ren'py wait / pause for user input: click on npc, object, arrow for movement, in scene.
• Screen with input box for variables that get stored
• Screen (click-to-type) User Input Examples
• On Screen Text Input
• OUYA Controls Screen
• Player controlled movement of entity (update 2019-03-13)
• Using a Custom Controller

• Detects what type of Game Pad the player is using
• Something like cheat codes
• pygame and actions by holding the button

Minigames

• 47 mini game Renpy
• Simple minigames
• Go minigame
• Ren'Py Chess Engine Source Code
• Simple Interactive Chess Engine in Ren'Py
• Dress up game
• Dynamic Dress Up Framework
• Scratch Ticket
• Another Rock Paper Scissors game
• Rock Paper Scissors, Knock knock jokes and assorted code
• Dueling/Aim Hero minigame
• Yet another shooting game
• Simple Shooting Game for Ren'Py
• Simple shooting minigame
• Shooter / Shmup / Shoot 'em Up prototype
• Renpystein: Pseudo 3D with Ray casting
• Hidden Object Game
• Hidden Object Example - Beginner
• Quick Time Event
• Quick Time Events - For Noobs
• Color Lines
• Simple fighting minigame
• Build a Rhythm Game!
• Rhythm Game in Ren'Py!
• Simon minigame (Renpy 6.9+)
• Minigames on new context
• Skyrim/Fallout-style Lockpicking Mini-Game
• Spot The Difference Game skeleton
• Mad Libs game
• Tetris
• Jigsaw Puzzle
• Combination lock
• Diceroll on table using a 2D-Array
• Turn-based game on a grid
• Breadth First Search Graph Based Pathfinding (Find shortest distance between two graph points)
• Breadth First Search Grid Based Pathfinding w/Walls (Find shortest distance between grid points)

Platform-specific

• Add in-game purchases to the Android game and ios
• Screens for Android phone
• Android-compatible Keyboard Screen
• Building your android app
• Renpy On Screen / Touch Screen Keyboard. PC / Android.
• Renpy Android Set up/Tutorial/Error Troubleshoot
• RenPy onto Google Play - lessons learned
• Changing the Ren'py Icon on Mac
• RenPSP Visual Novel Engine

Project management

Debug

• More useful variable viewer
• Position Viewer
• 3D camera motion and Transform Viewer
• Dynamic Value Adjuster
• Measuring time for code execution
• Ren'py Safe Logger - Version 2.7- Updated 2-15-2014

Testing

• Betatester mode
• Ren'Edit: Beta Tester & Editor GUI Tool for Feedback
• Helping playtesters generate feedback
• Simple game looper

File size reduction

• Optimizing images
• PNG quality with 30% size using JCC + a trick
• How to reduce the size of the project Renpy
• Automagically recreate project with smaller image sizes
• How to save space in your Ren'Py game

Randomness

• Random selection custom text tag for procedural text
• Save-proof randomness
• Randomized Item Clicking Mini-game
• Random Music Generator
• Random Chance Label Function
• Random Name Generator
• Random event code. (Example)
• Random sounds for sound sample button
• Amy's simple Markov chain text and randomized menu choices
• Unique password in the game

Systems

Achievements

• Achievement Module
• Ren'Py Achievements
• A Guide to Achievements/Persistents
• Extended achievements

Gallery

• Another dynamic gallery cookbook
• How to make a character selection page for gallery
• Tutorial: A very alternative CG/BG Gallery using Imagebutton
• Extended Gallery functionality (+example) RenPy 7.4.4
• Per-Character Gallery (+ Multiple Pages)
• Extras gallery with actual GUI
• Very Simple Gallery Code
• Gallery for Custom Characters
• Character Gallery based on "Help"
• Gallery code
• Instant CG and BG gallery
• Image Gallery/CGs/Album- Free source code on itch.io

Glossary

• Encyclopaedia / Bestiary Framework
• Simple Glossary / Dictionary / Footnote Implementation
• Glossary Screen Implementation

Inventory

• Inventory System
• Inventory Screen
• LezInventory - Free Inventory Framework!
• Infinite, Stackable Inventory/Crafting/Vendor - UPDATED v1.5
• a very simple screen-based inventory
• Ace Attorney style Court Record

Phone / Message

• yet another phone system + UI
• telegram messenger (2 version)
• Simple messaging UI for mobile game
• RenPy phone messaging system
• Adding a smartphone with various functionality
• Basic Message System
• Mobile phone text-message system
• Messenger - Version 1.0.0

Map / Navigation

• Automatic Location/Minimap System
• Simple Navigation System
• Simple navigation map
• Navigation Quest Time Routine System for Ren'py
• Node-based Non-linear Navigation Framework
• Basic Interactive Grid Map
• Location Manager

Point-and-click

• Point-and-click adventure framework
• Point and Click Sample Project
• Point and Click Tutorial (YouTube)

RPG / Dungeon crawler

• Animated RPG Battle Engine 1.2
• RPG Weather System
• RPG Overworld Engine
• RPG Battle System/Other Misc Features
• Dungeon Crawl RPG Framework
• Simple RPG Battle Framework A.K.A Sheepstorm
• Simple RPG Framework
• 1-on-1 RPG Battle Framework
• RPG combat library 2.0.0
• RPG Battle Engine - Alpha 7.5, downloads in first post
• RPG Battle Engine (similar to RPG Maker)
• Customizable battle system(RPG homebrew)
• Example for a turn-based battle system
• Raiser RPG Framework
• Character Creation (AD&D/RPG style)
• Battle System in Visual Novel View
• Basic Top Down Dungeon Crawler
• Another 3D dungeon crawl engine
• How to create a 3d dungeon crawler (WIP)

Save / Load

• Save/Load - Many useful code snippets
• Alternate Quick/Auto Load/Save screen
• Naming Your Saves
• Real "Delete" Button. At Save Menu.
• Save-proof randomness
• Arcade slot framework

Stats / Points

• Character Stats
• Stats System (just like persona 5's social stats)
• Really Simple Character Creation Stats
• Ren'Geon - D&D 5e Stat Roller and Character Creator
• Dungeons and Dragons Alignment System
• Affection Points
• Hentai Highschool Type of game framework
• Dating sim tool kit
• Dating Sim Engine (DSE) 4.1! Day Planner and Event Manager

Other

• Email System
• Quest Log

Text

• FancyText: Effects for Slow Text Display
• Kinetic Text Tags (Moving, waving, bouncing, shaking, replacement, style changes and more!)
• Ren'py Custom Text Tags Script For Renpy 6.18
• Fading onscreen text
• Font aliases
• Random selection custom text tag for procedural text
• Font Selection Option
• Allow player to change font
• Cycle and preview fonts in game.
• Replying through dialogue/ Artificial Intelligence based
• Artificial Intelligence Personalities
• A really simple text / keyword highlighter
• Splitting up long NVL text

Third party integration

• Ren'Py Steam Quickstart
• Ren'py compatibility with Steam
• Ren'Py Steam Achievement Guide
• Ren'Py Discord Rich Presence
• Yandex Mobile Ads in Ren'Py Game
• Attaching Admob to RenPy
• Expanding Mobile Functionality With Pyobjus/Pyjnius (Notifications)
• Game Jolt API for RenPy
• Implementing FMOD Studio into Ren'Py for All Platforms Community Project

Time

• Using a real Datetime to control flow of your game
• Date with weekdays and leap year
• Time spent in a game.
• ⭐Timed choice menus
• Timed Menus
• A timer that would work and after leaving the project
• TUTORIAL: Changing image/screen according to real time.
• Simple beginner-level calendar using python
• Scarily simple game calendar... with day parts
• Persona-style animated calendar
• A game for seven days
• Determine zodiac sign by a day
• Play events by day (quick mode)

Tools

• Articy: draft converter for RenPy
• Translation tools
• Twine to Ren'Py tool
• Converting Twine source to .rpy files
• Converting normal story text into renpy text v2
• Tool: Converting normal story text into renpy text
• Convert Python(.py) files to Ren'Py(.rpy)
• Detailed word counts for Lint
• Connect to MySQL with Spring Boot

Editors

• Runtime visual novel editor
• XRen'Py: visual editor for Ren'Py
• Renpy editor UI - create story without code - need testers
• Event Editor
• Ren'Edit: Beta Tester & Editor GUI Tool for Feedback
• EditPad Pro Syntax Coloring Scheme for Ren'Py
• 'Dark' Editra theme - kinder on the eyes
• Configuring Notepad++ for Ren'Py
• Ren'Py language support in Atom
• Renpy language support in Sublime Text

Tutorials

• Ren'Py from beginner to advanced (video series)
• Lots of video tutorials

Unsorted

• Mark chosen choices
• Deleting choices automatically after they have been chosen
• Showing side image during choice menu

• Custom/Bulk character definitions
• Automatic character, background, etc. image defining script
• Automatically composite images define
• Using %s to generate Images for sprites and more
• A simple wardrobe (and expression changer) using variable tags
• A little script to speed up BG/Sprites declarations
• Declare automatically images/sprites from your files names

• Auto Highlight for Sprites
• Showing Layered Sprites With Different Emotions (Corrected)
• Tile based Sprite Sheets
• (Tutorial) Using Ren'Py SpriteManager for Complex Systems (Beginner-Friendly)
• How To Doll in Renpy, with attributes, clothes, animation and blinking
• Dynamic Paper Dolls

• Finite State Machine
• Dynamic Label Function!
• Passing a text value from Label to Label

• Input MC name that filters NPC names! + extra nifty features (Ren'Py 7.4.2)
• PronounsClass to manage the pronouns of one or several characters
• Inserting a name/class into dialogue
• Events for specific names
• 2 simple codes (Input names and blinking)
• Player gender and custom pronouns, changeable on settings
• Player Naming your MC with Keyboard

• Brightness in game settings
• Select language automatically, based on system settings
• 3D Stereoscopic Sample (Side-By-Side for your fancy HDTV)
• How to enable Python 3 mode in Ren'Py 7.4
• Useful codes for demo used in IRL fest
• Pink Engine: A framework for using Tiled-created orthogonal maps in Ren'py
• how to put a screen over a video
• Simple Chapter Per Character Selection Screen.
• Viewport - zoom centered on mouse position
• Python for Ren'Py Dev Cookbook
• Character Screen - Free source code on itch.io
• Leafing through the pages of the book
• Wave Rendering
• Imagebutton GUI Framework (GxImagebuttons)
• BEST of Cookbook (working)
• SWHolo : show images with a Star Wars-styled hologram effect
• Separate Text and Voice Acting Selector, And Predicting User Language
• Equalizer, shooter, and music tag parser.
• Speaking animation while playing an audio using layeredimages
• A Tooltip whose x/y position follows the mouse's.
• Ren'Py QuickStart (Gallery, Codex, Scheduler, Tutorials etc)
• Automatic text translator for games on the RenPy.
• How to encrypt / obfuscate your Ren'Py archive RPA files to prevent common programs from opening them
• Modified Extend Character
• Color map
• Ramen, Renpy framework
• Text Adventure Engine for Ren'Py
• Accessibility Options
• Camera plugin for the Ren'py Engine
• Auto Weather Change weather-utils
• Rotating an object with movement of the mouse
• Layered Parallax Code
• Clickable areas for all
• how to write conditionswitch in python
• Calling a call from screen
• Challenge System For Ren'Py
• Scroll any background seamlessly
• Play Video Element from Screens
• Event Handler with Lexer based controls
• Imagemap character selection screen!
• One approach to a non-looping Movie
• getting your head around Ren'py: for coders
• Noir-Style Shadow/Lighting Effects
• Using XML to populate lists using classes
• Condition Switch within Condition Switch
• How to display percentage of your game completed/read
• About full customization
• Nested image manipulators
• SVG Color Chart
• How to interact with the environment
• 'Now Playing' popup window
• Confusing multiflag-dependant if statement
• All of Cute Demon Crashers! custom code :)
• One-screen visual novel
• Screen Sizes - Different Physical/Virtual Dimensions
• Flash -> Ren'Py Exporter (v 1.4, 26/4/2013)
• How to have hidden ending, unlock scene, dubbing
• Ren'Py Dictionary (Community Project)
• Object Oriented Programming & Rollback Module
• Beginner Level>Ren'Py>Questions>Graphics>Basics
• Dialogue and Diction Filter
• Customizing and Polishing Your Game
• Writing answers instead of choosing menu options
• LiveComposite Template Game

• Getting started and "common" mistakes in Renpy
• How to Start Ren'Py For Beginners!
• ConditionSwitch tutorial
• Renpy Tutorial for beginners (YouTube)
• Ren'Py Beginners Coding (Tutorial)
• Renpy Live2D Tutorial for Renpy 7.4.0
• LayeredImage Tutorial
• (Tutorial) Customizing Menus
• Implementing Translations in Ren'Py (Tutorial)
• (Tutorial) Easy Yes/No prompt customization (no imagemaps)
• A (short) Tutorial on Bars
• (Tutorial) Dynamic blur background for overlay menu like iOS
• (Tutorial) Animation and Transforms by Example
• (Tutorial) Making a Separate Content Patch
• Logo Intro, Opening and Press to Start Screen (Tutorial)
• Messy character customization tutorial
• (Tutorial) Crash course in screen language/UI design
• (Tutorial) Custom Backgrounds:Save/Load/Pref/Yes-No/MainMenu
• (Tutorial) Moving from Pygame to Renpy
• Button's behavior (explanation)
• Imagemaps explained by a dummy
• Image Tags Explained With Example On Sprites (Tutorial)

See also

• Archived Ren'Py wiki cookbook
• LSF cookbook forum (Directory of posts prior to 2019)
• Patreon Articles